A number of laboratory scale testing units are available to determine the activity of selected catalysts and their effect on catalytic cracking of various feedstocks.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,419,328 to Walsh discloses an apparatus for investigating the performance of a catalyst used in a catalytic cracking process. The apparatus includes a single fluidized bed reactor charged with the catalyst to be investigated and a digital computer which controls the supply of hydrocarbon feed stock and regenerating air in successive and repeated catalytic cracking intervals and catalyst regeneration intervals.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,102,628 to de Lasa discloses an apparatus for testing performance of a catalyst in a gaseous phase catalytic reaction for a given reactant. The apparatus comprises a reactor receiving a predetermined quantity of fluid reactant discharging the reaction mixture, including reaction products, from the reactor after a predetermined residence time. The reactor comprises a confined reactor volume with an upflow zone and a downflow zone. A device circulates fluids upwardly through the upflow zone and downwardly through the downflow zone where particulate catalysts in the upflow zone are fluidized by the upward flow of the fluid. The circulating device is adapted to circulate the fluid about the reactor volume at a rate which provides at any moment during the residence time for the reactants an essentially uniform concentration of reactants throughout the reactor volume to simulate conditions in a catalytic riser reactor. The unit provides generally the same residence time for both the fluid and the catalyst.
de Lasa discloses baffles positioned within the downflow zone to reduce and disturb the flow of fluid therethrough. The baffles are also used to prevent the forming of a vortex within the downflow zone. de Lasa also requires high impeller speeds thereby compromising the mechanical stability of the apparatus.
It is therefore an object to provide a novel reactor and a multifunctional riser and downer simulator incorporating the same.